Challenge Corner

Zip Dobyns

Answers from last issue

The Mongoloid is the chart with 2 Capricorn 54 rising and 20
Libra 54 on the MC. Emphasis on the mental planets, including rulers of the
3rd house (natural and actual), points to the importance of the mind, but the
combinations might have indicated a superior mind. Neptune is trine Mars (and
Moon), both rulers of the 3rd house with Pisces and Aries placed in the house,
while Mercury (the natural ruler of the 3rd) is trine Jupiter (co-ruler of
Pisces) and Uranus, the other mental planet. Vesta, in its own house (if we
take it as a ruler of Virgo) is even in a grand trine to Neptune, Juno, Mars,
Moon.

On the conflict side, Vesta is opposite the Ascendant, along
with the south node of the Moon, and our computer program has given us a clue
not available to most—a conjunction of the south node of Vesta to the
Ascendant. If we take the Ascendant to symbolize our ability to do what we
want to do, it becomes a key to health. Any form of letter six (planets in or
ruling the 6th house or Virgo, including Vesta) can also be a clue to health—efficient
functioning in both job and body. We also note that Mars and Moon are square
Mercury and quincunx Uranus and Jupiter in addition to being opposite Pluto.
With the many really close aspects between the mental planets, we can conclude
that either the individual is outstanding or impaired in some way. S/he is not
likely to be average. But that does not help us decide between our four
choices. So we look further.

Ceres (another potential key to Virgo or efficient
functioning) is conjunct the Sun and square the Moon. The Sun is exactly on
the 12th house cusp, and letter twelve can be artist, savior, or victim. But
perhaps most telling, Saturn, the ruler of the Ascendant, is semi-square the
Ascendant—the self against the self, or some version of self-doubt or
self-blocking. Downs Syndrome is, of course, hereditary or congenital, and the
Saturn placement in the 10th house in this aspect, and conjunct Venus, a ruler
of the 4th house (10 and 4 being keys to parents and heredity in general)
support the potential for a hereditary problem. Grand trines are fairly common
in the charts of dependent people, especially in air or water signs or houses.
An air-water emphasis can mark the floater, living in the head, as a spectator
of life. Certainly the mongoloid has a lot of earth if we take the 10th house
and the rising Capricorn, but letter 10 carries the potential of self-blocking
or over-drive, thus a need to find and live within realistic limits. What
additional clues are there to the possibility that the chart is a blocked one?
Sun at the midpoint of Saturn and the Ascendant ruled by Saturn—again, a stress
combination adds its note, though it could still go either way; wielding power
or feeling powerless.

All the water signs are prominent, so we have a baby looking
for a mother or a mother looking for a baby (Cancer), a mate looking for a mate
(Scorpio) and a savior looking for a victim or a victim looking for a savior (Pisces).
But perhaps more telling, the fire factors are largely associated with water
which can put out the fire. Sun is on the cusp of the 12th house—a position
similar to being conjunct Neptune. Neptune itself is thrown into prominence by
being most elevated in the chart. Mars is conjunct the Piscean Moon, and
Jupiter is in Cancer while the ruler of the Ascendant (theoretically a fire
point, similar in nature to Mars) is in Scorpio. Still nothing conclusive.
S/he might have been in a helping profession with considerable psychic
potential.

The gifted child is the 13 Capricorn 52 Ascendant and 2
Scorpio 53 MC. In this chart we have a grand trine in earth signs, including
the Ascendant. The fire planets, Mars and Jupiter, are in an earth sign and a
water house, but their conjunction supports the fire. Remember, in order of
importance, I put planets first (their own nature), aspects second, houses
third, and signs last. The Sun, our third fire planet, falls in its own house
for added strength, but it also has an exact square to Saturn and a close
square to Uranus, plus a quincunx to the MC and south node of the Moon with
Ceres, and wider squares to Vesta and Pluto. Certainly, it is a beleaguered
Sun. In addition to the grand trine in earth signs and water houses, we have a
grand trine in water signs and earth houses, counting the MC for the third
corner. Water can be either dependent or nurturant. Combined with earth,
which is driven to be productive, the mixture is more likely to be nurturant.
Yet Neptune is again closest to the MC, as well as opposite Mars and Jupiter
and widely conjunct Moon. The possibility of blocking is present in the chart.

We might tip the scales with Mercury, natural ruler of the
3rd house, conjunct Jupiter and Mars (ruler of the 3rd cusp) and sextile Venus
which rules the small part of Taurus also found in the 3rd house, in addition
to being trine the Ascendant. The whole combination does look like a superbly
functioning mind. The heavily stressed Sun suggests that a major lesson of the
life is to learn to be an equal, and share the efforts with others; to learn to
take things lightly. In general, it looks like the chart of an over-achiever,
perhaps to the exclusion of fun. I would talk to the person about the “Atlas
syndrome,” and the need to let others do some of it. But s/he is likely to be
highly successful in life.

The person born with a defect of the nervous system which
prevented control of the bowels has 5 Capricorn 33 rising and 1 Scorpio 46 on
the MC. Again we have Neptune as our 10th house planet conjunct the MC, but
this time Mercury is also conjunct the MC slightly on the 9th house side, and
the Moon in Gemini (Mercury’s sign) is quincunx Mercury and MC. Vesta’s
conjunction with the Moon adds more emphasis on efficient functioning or the
lack of it, and Moon and Vesta share the squares to Venus and Pluto in the
other Mercury-ruled sign, Virgo, repeating the concern with efficient
functioning. Other tension patterns include Sun exactly square Ascendant, Saturn-Jupiter-East
Point quincunx north node of the Moon and Uranus, and square Mars-Mercury-MC.
The squares of actual or natural rulers of the first house to anything in or
ruling the first house symbolizes some form of self-blocking, whether conscious
or (more often) unconscious. But there are also good aspects of Moon-Vesta
trine Sun, involving the houses of growth and thus keys to the future, which
suggest the potential of working out of the problems. The Venus-Pluto trines
to the Ascendant, and Mercury-MC sextile to the Ascendant offer some hope as
well. In this case, surgery (Pluto and Scorpio) may solve the problem. Both Ceres
and Moon are involved in the favorable trines to the other fire houses,
including Jupiter and East Point in the first house. I normally take both
Ceres and Moon as keys to the mother, and it was the child’s mother who finally
forced the doctors to do the thorough examination which located the problem,
after being told for years that it was a psychological problem which would be outgrown.

The individual with the “Geller” ability to bend metal
objects with the power of the mind is the one with 3 Capricorn 41 rising and 8
Scorpio 43 MC. The concern with power is obvious in the chart with a close
conjunction of Mars and Saturn on the MC but slightly on the 9th house side,
and the general emphasis on Scorpio and Capricorn. But we have a series of
sextiles between these two signs, including Mars (natural) and Saturn (actual)
rulers of the Ascendant sextile to the Ascendant. Mars-Saturn, Capricorn
rising, and other one-ten mixtures can represent either over-drive or self
blocking, but with harmonious aspects, the individual is more likely to be
handling the action constructively. The Jupiter trine to the first house Antivertex
is also a suggestion that the personal functioning is effective.

But we could not “rule out” the potential of problems.
Uranus is a ruler of the first house (Aquarius in the 1st) and it is in the 7th
house. This can mean “giving power away,” or fighting for it, or retreating.
The Uranus conjunction with the south node of the Moon puts further emphasis on
this “joint handling” of power as a lesson area. The semi-sextiles to Jupiter
on one side and Pluto on the other side are helpful, suggesting some ability to
integrate the situation. Venus conjunct the Ascendant is also helpful.
Normally, this means the individual has the capacity to like himself or
herself, so self-blocking is less likely.

In the end, there seem to be no conclusive answers. This is
being written before the charts have reached subscribers, but if enough send
answers, the results will be tabulated in a footnote.

(Editor’s note—not enough answers to tabulate.)

Current Challenge

Only one pair of twins is being included in this issue’s
challenge corner. The twins are fraternal; one male and one female, but we can’t
tell you which is which as that would give away the answer. The female has had
a normal family life without serious problems. The male rose to a high
position in a large company, tried to reform what he considered unfair
practices, was fired, began drinking heavily, and now is in serious trouble as
an alcoholic. Three major clues jump out at me, but what do you, the readers,
think? So far, not enough readers have sent in answers for us to do a tally,
but we are still hoping.